Tag: verdict

Microsoft loses Patent Battle with Toronto’s i4i

Posted by Winflow – June 9, 2011

Earlier today, the US Supreme Court sided with Toronto-based company, i4i, and found the Microsoft Corp.  guilty of infringing upon a patent held by i4i. The details are as follows:

  • Microsoft fought to lower the standard of proof defendants are required to bear in patent infringement cases.
  • The US Supreme Court agreed that the US$290 – million jury verdict was to be awarded to i4i.
  • The patent in question, filed in 1998, dictates the software that can use XML language to open computer documents. This type of software appeared in Microsoft’s Word 2003 and 2007 operating software.
  • Microsoft plans to keep pushing for patent law reform.
  • Microsoft is not allowed to sell versions of Word that contain this patent infringement.
  • The chairman of i4i has spent over US$10 – million on expenses associated with this lawsuit.
  • Software giants, Google and Apple Inc., supported Microsoft’s side of the case.
  • The judgment in it’s entirety can be read here.

The ruling in favour of i4i sets the precedent that inventors cannot simply have their patents infringed upon by large corporations. For the full article, visit the Financial Post.

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